In this class we discussed some different ways of coming up with ideas. We took a look at Frank Chimero’s How to Have an Idea, which suggests using mind maps to come up with creative, alogical associations between things. We drew a mind map with ‘diptych’ as the central idea. Chimero’s process of coming up with new ideas involves pulling together two ideas from different sides of the map, which means that they are connected by your central idea. This is somewhat like the technique of circuit bending, a way of creatively hacking electronic equipment to create new sounds or other unexpected effects.

The important point is to get started rather than waiting around for inspiration. As Frank Chimero points out, “there is no process if you don’t start – no one crumples a blank sheet of paper.” Mind maps are just one way you can get your brain fired up and generate ideas.

For our second assignment, we’ll create a diptych, or two images that go together. The word diptych originally meant a pair of panels attached with a hinge. Historical examples of diptychs often involve religious iconography (altarpieces, book covers, and so on). Today, the word is often used to describe two images which are meant to be seen together. Using Adobe Illustrator to create a diptych will help you practice combining elements from multiple files, copying and pasting, and editing individual shapes, and will lead into upcoming assignments where we’ll work with multiple images.

Placing two images beside each other creates something new. Our brains create new associations between the two images, even if they are completely different. It activates the space between the two images and can suggest a sense of time, movement, or narrative. This relates to the way that we read comics – Scott McCloud writes about this in Understanding Comics. It also relates to how our eyes perceive film and video.

Diptychs don’t have to be two images placed side by side. You can have vertical diptychs, or diagonal ones (think of the symmetry of playing cards). The two images do not have to be the same size or shape, and you can experiment with the distance between them. Diptychs can also be created in many different media, including painting, printmaking, photography, and even animation and video.

During this class, we got started on Assignment 2 (creating a diptych in Illustrator). We also had a visit from artist Greg Staats, who is here for the opening of his exhibition, Condolence, at Grenfell Art Gallery. Greg talked about his working process, including his techniques of intuitively collecting images, building a personal archive, and aiming to create “photos that slow you down.” He also described how, when making a diptych or series of photos, he aims for each image to stand on its own. This is great advice to keep in mind when working on your diptych project.

You can see more of Greg Staats’ work on the Indigenous Arts Network website (there is a longer version of the video interview here), as well as the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art website.

Here are some examples of artists working with diptychs, which we looked at in Class 6:

Artists working with diptychs or related forms:

• Piero della Francesca – Montefeltro portraits
• Kenojuak Ashevak – Siilavut, Nunavut
• Kunisada and Polyptychs in Japanese printmaking
• M.C. Escher – Day and Night
• Andy Warhol – Marilyn Diptych
• Tim Lee – My My Hey Hey
• David Hockney – Pearblossom Highway
• Siggi Eggertsson
• Kristan Horton – Dr. Strangelove Dr. Strangelove
• Charles Burns – One Eye
• Susan Coolen – Parlance
• Claudia Cortinez
• John Baldessari – Hands And/Or Feet (Part Two) (more)
• Frédéric Delangle – CERN diptychs
• Bill Viola – The Passions (video diptych)
• David O’Kane – The Nothingness of Personality and other animated painted diptychs

Collaborative diptych projects:

• 3191: A Year of Mornings
• A collaborative diptych project by two Montreal photographers

During this class we looked at everyone’s work for Assignment 1. We also started Assignment 2, where we’ll be creating diptychs, pairs of images which are intended to be seen together. One way you can create a diptych in Illustrator is to use the Artboards palette to work with multiple artboards. Here’s a good overview of working with multiple artboards in Illustrator.